I'm Here
by jemb
Summary: When Brennan disappears without a word Booth goes in search of her. BB fluffy one shot


**_I don't know where this came from, it just popped into my head and I had to get it out. written uickly there may be some mistakes but it's full of BB fluff for you to enjoy. I apologise if I got the place Brennan grew up wrong but I couldn't remember and for some reason Chicago was in my head. Let me know if I'm wrong and I'll change it. _**

In mid afternoon Angela stands in her office at the Jeffersonian, a concerned look on her face. After hanging up the phone for the tenth time Angela holds her hand to her mouth nervously. Her mind is working overtime wondering what's wrong and why Brennan isn't answering her home phone or her cell. She picks up the phone again but this time dials a different number. It rings a couple of times before a male voice answers.

"Booth."

"It's Angela." She tells him.

"Angela, what's going on?" Booth asks casually as he holds the phone between his shoulder and ear so he can sort the papers on his desk.

"I might be overreacting." She starts. This immediately puts Booth on edge and he stops what he's doing and takes the phone in his hand.

"Angela?" he asks.

"It's Brennan." Angela states. "She left work a couple of hours ago and I can't get in touch with her." She moves one hand to her hip and balances her weight on one leg. Booth glances at the clock and seeing that it's only four in the afternoon he becomes concerned. In all the time he's known Brennan she has never left work this early.

"Did something happen?" Booth probes.

"No, not really." Angela tells him. "I mean she's been a little…well you know." Angela cocks her head to one side. "I mean since her dad and all. Today she just put down her things and went home. At least I assumed she went home."

"You think we should be worried." Booth states.

"I'm not sure."

"I'll go by her apartment, see if she's there." Booth tells Angela.

"Thanks Booth." Angela sighs. _If anyone can get through to Brennan he can_ she thinks.

Booth arrives at Brennan's apartment a little after five. Still being light he doesn't expect to see any lights on. Gaining access to her building isn't hard. He's been there a lot lately and the doorman recognises him.

"If you're looking for Dr Brennan she isn't here." The doorman states. "She came back a few hours ago then left."

"Did she have anything with her?" Booth asks.

"Nope. But she looked upset."

"Did you ask her what was wrong?" Booth asks.

"Hey, I'm a doorman, not a therapist." He shrugs and moves back behind his station.

"Thanks." Booth moves across the hall and pulls out his cell, calling Angela. She picks up quickly, probably waiting on his call.

"Angela, do you have a spare key for Bones' place?" he asks.

"Yes. Booth why do you need to get into her place?" Angela asks with concern thick in her voice.

"Can you just meet me at her apartment?" Booth sighs.

"Sure."

Angela gets to Brennan's in record time. As she hurries through the building to the second floor she feels nerves building. Booth is waiting outside Brennan's door.

"Here." She hands him the key she has been holding since leaving her car.

"The doorman said Bones came home then left again shortly afterwards, upset." Booth tells Angela. "I just want to see if she left any clue about why she's upset or where she's going." Booth explains. Angela nods and follows Booth inside once he gets the door open.

Inside the apartment Booth moves straight over to Brennan's PC. As he sifts through some papers, Angela looks around the rest of the apartment.

"Everything seems normal." She comments.

"Well it's not." Booth tells her as he reads over a freshly printed piece of paper.

"What is it?"

"She's left town." Booth states.

"What?"

"She's booked a flight to Chicago." Booth shows Angela the flight confirmation. Sure enough the details show Brennan booked a flight that afternoon. After folding the paper and putting it in his jean jacket pocket, Booth pulls out his cell and dials a number.

"Yes, I need to book a seat on the next flight to Chicago." He states. "I don't care, whatever you have available."

"Booth?" Angela asks. He looks at her but doesn't say anything.

"Thanks." He hangs up and moves towards the door.

"Booth." Angela says in a more demanding tone.

"She's gone to Chicago, to the place she grew up." Booth says. "I might be stretching here but with everything that's happened in the last few weeks I think she's gone to the last place she remembers everything being okay." He explains. "I'm catching the eight o'clock flight." Angela sees the steely determination on Booth's face and something tells her he'll find Brennan and bring her back safely.

CHICAGO

Brennan stands like a statue, her eyes focused on the house before her. She doesn't notice the rain soaking her through as she watches as lights are put on and off in different rooms. From across the street she sees a man and a woman in the living room. A couple of children run back and forth behind the window and Brennan feels her tears mixing with the rain as she remembers her family in this house at time when they were happy and innocent and unaware of what their life was really all about. She hugs her arms around her body, shaking with the cold and with the pain of her memories.

It's raining hard when Booth arrives in Chicago. After hiring a car he drives to Brennan's old address which he remembered from her parents file. It might be a long shot but it's all he has to go on. It takes him some time to find but after consulting a street map he finally locates her block. The street is quiet and in darkness. As he drives down the street with the window wipers on full speed to clear the rain he checks the house numbers of each home he passed. As he approaches Brennan's old address he spots her; a lone figure on the opposite side of the street just standing and staring. He pulls his car into the side of the road and switches the engine off. He watches her for a minute or so, trying to judge what state of mind she is in. _Whatever it is, it can't be good._

Booth steps out of the car and makes his way down the street. He approaches her slowly and with caution. He knows what Brennan can do if caught off guard.

"Bones? He says softly when he is just a few feet away from her. She snaps her head around at the sound of his voice, surprised and confused to see him here.

"Bones." He says again. When he gets no reply from her but a blank stare he tries again. "Are you okay?" Brennan stares at him. _Of course I'm not okay. I flew to Chicago in the middle of the day to stand in the rain outside my old house _she says in her head. Somehow the words don't come out though.

"Bones, talk to me." Booth says softly. Brennan turns her gaze back to the house.

"I just needed to remember." She almost whispers. Booth is at her side now, standing close but not so close as to invade her space.

"What did you need to remember?" he asks.

"That I was happy once." She says with her gaze still firmly on the house. "That there was a time when everything was normal. I had parents, a brother, a home, a place." She hangs her head.

"Bones, it's alright." Booth assures her.

"No it's not alright." She turns to him, sounding agitated. "It's never going to be alright. My parents were criminals, liars. I'm not who I am. My life isn't what it was supposed to be." She almost shouts.

"Bones, come on, you're wet and cold." He holds his arm out, wanting her to come back to the car with him. "Everything will be…" she cuts him off.

"No Booth." She cries. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't pretend like everything is fine." She pushes him away. "Don't tell me it's all going to be okay. It's not. My mom is dead. My dad is alive and has been this whole time. He doesn't want me to find him. He doesn't want to know me!" She yells.

"Bones." Booth says softly as he once again reaches out for her. She pushes him away again but Booth tries again, stepping closer to her. She fights against him as he pulls her towards him, her hands punching at him in a futile effort to make him stay away.

"Let me go." She cries. "Just let me go." She pleads. "Let me go." She repeats over and over as she struggles against Booth.

"Bones, I'm never going to let you go." He tells her firmly as he grips her close to him, pinning her arms against his chest so she can't fight anymore. She wriggles in his embrace, not wanting to be there but at the same time knowing she needs to be.

"Shh Bones." Booth whispers in her ear. "It's okay, I'm here." Brennan finally relents and weakens in his arms. She falls against his chest weakly and clings to him like he's the only think keeping her up. "I'm here." Booth repeats. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

A couple of hours later Brennan emerges from the bathroom of a small hotel room in the city wearing an oversized FBI t-shirt and shorts borrowed from Booth. Prepared as always, Booth had brought with him the bag he keeps in his car for unexpected overnight stays. He himself has changed into dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He stands awkwardly by the widow as she comes out, unsure what to expect from her. She had been silent all the way here and didn't speak a word when he gave her the clothes and told her to take a long hot shower.

"I'm sorry." She apologises as she stands on the other side of the room from him.

"You don't need to apologise Bones." Booth says.

"I do. I shouldn't have come here." She sighs heavily as she sits down at the top of the bed and leans against the headboard bring her knees up to her chest.

"You felt like you needed to." Booth joins her, sitting at the other side of the bed.

"Angela must be worried."

"It's okay, I called her." Booth says. Brennan remains silent for a moment.

"How did you find me?" she asks suddenly.

"Uh." Booth smiles. "Angela and I went to your apartment. She used your spare key to get in." he explains. "We were worried." he adds to explain their actions. "I found your flight details. It all made sense from there."

"And you flew out here." Brennan sighs.

"I thought you might need…" _me_ he wants to say. "Someone." He finishes.

"Why is that someone always you?" Brennan turns to face him.

"Because we're friends." He says. "We're…"

"More than friends." She finishes for him. Booth smiles again, taken off guard by her statement.

"We are?" he asks.

"Booth, friends help each other out. But you, you go above and beyond that. You've always been there for me. Even when I don't think I need you, you're there."

"Well…" Booth cocks his head to the side and smiles sheepishly.

"And I just keep on messing up." Brennan hangs her head.

"You don't mess up Bones." Booth reaches out and takes her hand in his, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "You just act on instinct and maybe sometimes it takes you places you don't mean to go." Brennan hangs her head, not feeling able to look at him. "I know right now things seem crazy and out of control but it won't always be like this. And I'll always be here Bones." He adds.

"Why Booth?" she asks. _Why would anyone want to be around a mess like me?_ She wonders.

"Because you need me." He states. "And for some reason I think I need you to." He grins and shifts over to sit next to her. "We're a team Bones, we're partners. I can't do what I do without you." He slips an arm around her shoulders and draws her to his chest, holding her close. She nestles against him and listens to the rhythmic beating of his heart.

"Thanks Booth." Brennan whispers. "For everything." She closes her eyes and relaxes into him, feeling safe and protected. As she drifts into an exhausted sleep Booth plants a tender kiss on her head.

"No Bones, thank you." He whispers as he pulls her closer and drifts into a peaceful sleep himself, secure in the knowledge that his soul mate is safe. At least for tonight.


End file.
